If Jameer Nelson Tries to Sell You Hand Lotion, Now You Know Why

The Orlando Magic announced today that they've sold the naming rights of their home building, re-naming it "Amway Arena." I'm sure most people have heard of Amway, but they may not be aware of its co-founder, billionaire Rich DeVos, is also the majority owner of the Magic. (Or maybe they do, I don't know. I live in Michigan, where Amway is based and where DeVos' son Dick just spent untold millions on a failed gubernatorial campaign -- and I just made the connection in November).

Amway is a multi-level marketing company, which means in most people's minds I'm guessing it ranks somewhere between small-business-destroying Walmart and the guy selling crack on the corner. Henry Abbott from TrueHoop notes:

Take some Amway advice from me: if you meet some potential new friends, and they come over to dinner packing an easel, some catalogs, and the idea that they want to talk to you about "an exciting business opportunity"--send them home immediately. They don't want to be your friends. They want to sell you crap, and even better they want to make a percentage when you sell your friends crap. It might be good for business, but it's not good for friendships.

What's the fan reaction to the new name? From the Orlando Sentinel message board:

Great! Now the only way they will let you come inside the arena is if you bring 10 friends...and each of those friends have to bring 10 friends...and each of them bring 10....and each of them..................

Wait, wait, it gets better. From Lang Whitaker:

The Magic have a naming-rights deal for their new arena: Amway Arena. If the arena isn't shaped like a pyramid I'm going to be really angry.

Personally, I doubt anyone is going to miss the corporate moniker "TD Waterhouse Centre," and naming it after Amway is at least a little better than a toxic waste disposal company, but I still miss the good ol' days of when it was just "Orlando Arena" and the fans called it "O-rena."